W.H. still hopeful despite rise in unemployment

(CBS News) WASHINGTON - Despite the hopeful news of over 160,000 additional jobs created, it was tempered by the announcement that America's unemployment rose a tenth of a point to 8.3 percent. No president since Franklin Roosevelt has been re-elected with an unemployment rate this high. But President Obama Friday decided to focus on the number of jobs that were created.

"Those are our neighbors and family members finding work, and the security that comes with work," he announced. "But let's acknowledge we've still got too many folks out there looking for work. We've got to do more on their behalf."

Still, the slight rise in unemployment was a disappointment at the White House, where senior advisers used to predict privately that the rate would be below 8 percent by Election Day.

Stronger job numbers drive stock surge
163K jobs added, unemployment inches up to 8.3%
Romney: Jobs report "hammer blow" to middle class

"Any increase in the unemployment rate is unwelcome," said Alan Krueger, the president's top economist.

On Friday, Mitt Romney called the unemployment rate a hammer blow to middle-class families. But Krueger said: "I don't think it was a hammer blow to the 163,000 Americans who found a job in July.The president has made a number of proposals that we believe will lower the unemployment rate. And if Congress acts on those proposals, I would expect the unemployment rate to come down further .

The president urged Congress to give middle-class families more certainty by extending the Bush tax cuts for households making less than $250,000 a year. Republicans including Mr. Romney want the tax cuts extended for even the highest earners

But a Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll this week found roughly 6 in 10 voters in three states that could decide this election agree with the president's position.

"I just think we've got our priorities skewed if the notion is that we give tax breaks to folks who don't need them, and to help pay for that, we tax folks who are already struggling to get by," Mr. Obama said. "That's not how you grow an economy."

White House officials argued Friday that we shouldn't focus on any single monthly jobs report, and that what's really important is that the private sector has been creating jobs for the past 29 straight months.

[Rick03466]

This is Simple, the economic plan embraced by Mr. Obama has failed , (worse it was failing when he embraced it) We need only to look to Greece and Spain to see where we are heading with Mr. Obama's "Pay the Credit Card with the Credit Card" mentality. When assessing whether Mr Obama has failed we need only to look to his own Metric Unemployment is worse than he said it would be if he wasn't given 784 billion in stimulus. Mr. Obama has proven he is little more than a pretty talking head .

[lillyhorton]

Ron Paul for president. We do not have to settle for a president. We do not have to choose the lesser of two incompetants. Anyone in the US can have a vote reguardless of funds. Obama and Romney have money and they want to keep what they have by keeping tax breaks for the wealthy. If we want change we have to replace our senators. We have to do something drastic. STOP BUYING things that aren't necessary. I don't care if my car is 10 this year. She gets me around. No I don't drive a Deville just a dodge caravan. No I didn't get a new wardrobe this summer because the clothes I wore 2 years ago still fit. I bank at a credit union. I wish my cards and mortgage were payed in full but thats taking time. I use a track phone and my computer is 4 years old. Christmas is kept small as I chant who needs collage money cause we ain't black, hispanic or native american. I am a work my ass off two jobs glow white US tax payer and I am tired of of watching romney and obama get all the press time as if they are the only candidates. Hell we could vote Schwartsenager if we wanted to. We present some photoshopped copy of a birth certificate from an inuit tribe who didn't keep records of births back then.

[Faramir0028g]

Ron Paul for president.*** R U Crazy? Ron P will endorse Mitt who is the problem. If u are deluded enough vote libertarian vote for Gary Johnson... but remember the Koch brothers support him... sad
BTW cut back on the caffeine

[Faramir0028g]

Anybody in a swing state who has not made up ur mind about who to vote for please consider these 2 points
1 Want 10 dollar a gallon gas, vote Mitt. He will attack Iran he just said so. If we or Israel attack Iran, Iran will attack the US & NATO Fleet, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States with cruise missiles. Iran has 100s likely 2-3 thousand Chinese silk worm cruise missiles spread across their side of the Persian Gulf. Those missiles will kill 100s of our sailors and destroy all the refineries and most the oil production in the Gulf and of course we will hit Iran in a similar fashion. WWW3 and $10 dollars gas at the same time fun not so much... This is all easy to Google on the net check for ur self please. There is no defense against a swarm of cruise missiles
2 Ask your self how does Mr Robme differ from Bush on his economic polices ?

[patriot57200]

Old MacDonald had a farm.

Mrs O'leary had a cow.

And we unfortunately have

Barak Obama.

[carlbakersfi]

Yeah, get that 4 year old "HOPE" sign out. On the back, in fine print "without a clue". See you in the unemployment line, Obama. Ooops, you get government pay for life, for lousy job you did in the last 4 years.

[CaptainSmollett]

Obama can't campaign on his dismal economic record nor his plans to fix it, so he and his surrogates resort to fabrications, conjecture, and lies in an attempt to personally trash Romney.
For a sitting president to stoop to such a level clearly illustrates Obama's lack of accomplishment, lack of substance, and lack of character.

[louiville2_2]

That's just the number of Illegals foreign nationals Obama let in Shallow_Rs_Are_CRET-_-Ns this last year who are taking AMERICAN jobs!!!!

Then he and democrats want them to vote for him.

[CaptainSmollett]

"W.H. still hopeful despite rise in unemployment"

That statement is obvious. Does anyone really think he'd tell the truth, like I've mismanaged the economy and there is no hope as long as I'm in office?

[GoGoUsa]

Blah blah blah, whine, complain, blah blah blah. Never ends with your type you just can't stand it when a Dem is in the White House. You prefer your leaders to be stupid, that way no one can think they are better then you.

[bsbulldog]

It's seems a little strange Harry Reid goes on a rampage against Romney the same time the unemployment numbers come out. Strange isn't it.

[GoGoUsa]

No.

[realpatriot1776]

that photo captures the reality that once again he will soon be blaming the mess we are in on someone else, (1) we need to remember how Obama balked when leadership could have stopped the BP oil spill, (2) we need to remember how Obama could have showed his college transcripts and it would have stopped all the bickering, (3) we need to remember Obama giving trillions to Banks & Industry that have all taken the money and moved to China, (4) we need to remember Solyndra, (5) we need to remember Fast & Furious, (6) we need to remember the U.S. Constitution, (7) we need to remember Our Borders, (8) we need to remember the United States of America, (9) we need to remember that Arizona, is asking for help, and the U.S. Government is responsible for helping the States, not foreigners, illegal aliens, and foreign powers, (10) we need to remember the president of the United States of America is responsible in the protection and sovereignty of the U.S.A.

[Faramir0028g]

@ realpatriot1776 we need to remember Mitt Robme is the problem not the solution... must of the stuff u list were not done by Obama & u forget 28 months of job growth, 13000 dow . How come Bush did not permanently close the border with Mexico after 9-11? He could have done anything then
If Mitt is not lying where is John McCain he saw the returns why hasn't he said something??? oh forget it u gotta watch fox now ha ha what a chump

[wfw3536]

Obama recently said that his plan is working as he talked about the economy. Maybe he should ask the 23.5 million folks unemployed, or the 46 million folks on food stamps, or the small business owners he insulted last week when he didn't give them the credit they deserve for being succesful. Obama showed how little he understands about small business owners, like the 80 hour work weeks, the times they go without a paycheck, the times a customer doesn't pay a bill, yes, Obama owes small business owner an apology.